Greeley GoJo’s advances in Legion A state tournament thanks to big day at the plate

Top-seeded Greeley Gojo Sports was only able to muster two runs in an upset loss to eighth-seeded Eaglecrest on Wednesday.

What a difference a day makes.

On Thursday, GoJo's (33-21) poured on 19 runs behind 16 hits in a 19-9 win over Monarch Post 111 in the second round of the Legion A Elite state baseball tournament at Fairview High School in Boulder.

"Yesterday we had a real hard time hitting," GoJo's coach Josh Mondragon said. "But today we got off to a hot start and everybody — one through nine — was putting good contact on the ball and driving runs in. When you get a seven-run lead in the first inning it puts the opposing team in a tough spot."

Bo Slaymaker led the turnaround at the plate, driving in five runs behind a double and a triple.

But hitting is only half the battle, and Mondragon realizes that giving up nine runs isn't always going to cut it.

Recommended Stories For You

"We're getting into the tournament farther where pitching is at a premium," Mondragon said. "Better pitching is key."

GoJo's hopes to get that out of Jonathan Cowles (6-2) when he takes the mound at noon today against Rocky Mountain in a rematch of a doubleheader on July 23, a series that GoJo's swept.

"It's pretty clear to say (Cowles) is one of the better arms in the area," Mondragon said. "He's been a three-year guy for us. But most importantly, he wants the ball."

Windsor eliminated

Windsor wasn't able to manage the same kind of turnaround. After losing an extra-inning heartbreaker to Fairview on Wednesday, the Wizards (29-15-1) bowed out of the state tournament Thursday with a 13-5 loss to Gene Taylor's.

"Gene Taylor just outplayed us from the beginning," Windsor coach Brad Deal said. "Last night we didn't execute, but today we were just outplayed."

Despite the early exit from the state tournament, this season wasn't a disappointment for the Wizards.

"Our season was great," Deal said. "We had a lot of growth and a lot of players got better. Our season was a success."

But Deal noted three areas that they will have to improve on going into the high school season next spring: Getting more athletic, hitting when it matters and pitching.

"We can be a really good team," Deal said. "We have seven kids that can pitch varsity, we just need to execute."